The Psychology of ArithmeticThorndike, Edward L. (Edward Lee)
Science
The Psychology of Arithmetic
Thorndike, Edward L. (Edward Lee)
Arithmetic -- Study and teaching
The most important applications of the psychology of satisfiers and
annoyers to arithmetic will therefore be in the direction of utilizing
still more effectively this interest in achievement. Next in importance
come the plans to attach to arithmetical learning the satisfyingness of
bodily action, play, sociability, cheerfulness, and the like, and of
significance as a means of securing other desired ends than arithmetical
abilities themselves. Next come plans to relieve arithmetical learning
from certain discomforts such as the eyestrain of some computations and
excessive copying of figures. These will be discussed here in the
inverse order.
RELIEVING EYESTRAIN
At present arithmetical work is, hour for hour, probably more of a tax
upon the eyes than reading. The task of copying numbers from a book to a
sheet of paper is one of the very hardest tasks that the eyes of a pupil
in the elementary schools have to perform. A certain amount of such
work is desirable to teach a child to write numbers, to copy exactly,
and to organize material in shape for computation. But beyond that,
there is no more reason for a pupil to copy every number with which he
is to compute than for him to copy every word he is to read. The
meaningless drudgery of copying figures should be mitigated by arranging
much work in the form of exercises like those shown on pages 216, 217,
and 218, and by having many of the textbook examples in addition,
subtraction, and multiplication done with a slip of paper laid below the
numbers, the answers being written on it. There is not only a resulting
gain in interest, but also a very great saving of time for the pupil
(very often copying an example more than quadruples the time required to
get its answer), and a much greater efficiency in supervision.
Arithmetical errors are not confused with errors of copying,[16] and the
teacher's task of following a pupil's work on the page is reduced to a
minimum, each pupil having put the same part of the day's work in just
the same place. The use of well-printed and well-spaced pages of
exercises relieves the eyestrain of working with badly made gray
figures, unevenly and too closely or too widely spaced. I reproduce in
Fig. 25 specimens taken at random from one hundred random samples of
arithmetical work by pupils in grade 8. Contrast the task of the eyes in
working with these and their task in working with pages 216 to 218. The
customary method of always copying the numbers to be used in computation
from blackboard or book to a sheet of paper is an utterly unjustifiable
cruelty and waste.
[16] Courtis finds in the case of addition that "of all the
individuals making mistakes at any given time in a class,
at least one third, and usually two thirds, will be making
mistakes in carrying or copying."
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